HCMN413 Griggs International Academy HomeFit assessment Process Paper

HCMN413 Griggs International Academy HomeFit assessment Process Paper

HCMN 413 – Services and Housing for the Long-Term Care Consumer

Dr. Mc Sweeney-Feld

Home Fit Assignment – 200 Points

Maintaining autonomy is extremely important to all of us.  It is critical for older adults and individuals with disabilities, as it is part of “ageing in place” and being able to live independently in the community for life.  Studies show that remaining in your community benefits an adult’s health, mental states and overall well-being.

This Assignment requires you to visit the home of an adult over age 50 or the home of an individual with disabilities over age 18 (not their dorm room, must be a home environment) to assess whether their home environment is conducive to living independently for the remainder of their life. The Assignment requires you to review the built environment of the home, their use of energy within the home, the individual’s transportation services, their nutrition services, and their individual safety concerns as measured by their preparedness for emergencies and disasters.

Part I:  Please choose the home of an adult over the age of 50 to assess, and set up a date and time for the assessment.  (This can be a parent, a neighbor, friend or other relative; the home site can be a free-standing house, condo or apartment).  Bring a tape measure with you to the visit to measure doorway and hallway widths.  The interview should take 1 hour to 1.5 hours.

 

1. Review the entire contents of the Home Fit Guide, especially the Home Fit Questions and Room-by-Room Home Fit list.

Home Fit: please ask the following questions and record the answers

1. Does the person have mobility issues, and do they use an assistive device (cane, wheel chair, rollator, or walker)? If so, what type and are they able to move freely around the home with the device?
2. Is there at least one step-free entrance into the home?
3. Are there stairs inside and/or outside the home that the person needs to use? Are there hand rails on both sides of the stairway?
4. Are there doorways that are at least 36 inches wide between the door jams?
5. Are the hallways well lighted and are there light switches at the end of the hall?
6. Are there area rugs in the home? If so, do they have nonslip strips or liners under them?
7. What types of handles are on the doors: knobs or levers?
8. In the kitchen, is there a lever-style faucet, or are there knobs? What types of pulls are on the kitchen cabinets: knobs or D-shaped handles? Are the cabinets easy to reach?
9. In the bathroom, is there a step-free entrance into the shower and non-slip strips on the floor? Is there an adjustable or hand-held shower head? Is there a shower chair and grab bars? Does the toilet have an elevated seat for comfort?
10. Is there a telephone in multiple rooms? Are all electrical cords secured to prevent tripping?

 

2. Energy use in the home: please ask the following questions and record your answers
3. At what temperature do you set your thermostat for your home? Do you have zoned heating and cooling, and if so, how do you use it?
4. Have you changed any light bulbs to energy-saving ones in your home?
5. Do you have energy-star or energy-efficient appliances in the kitchen? How frequently do you use the dishwasher or washing machine?
6. If you have a house, do you use weatherproofing seals for your windows and/or doors to keep in heat during inclement weather
7. Have you requested any financial assistance with your energy services from your energy company?

 

3. Nutrition supports: please ask the following questions and record your answers
4. Are you able to shop for your own food purchases? Are there grocery stores within a convenient distance from your home?
5. Do you use any delivery services to obtain your weekly food and supplies?
6. Do you eat three full meals a day? Do you keep a set budget for your food purchases?
7. Do you eat fruit and vegetables as a regular part of your meals?
8. Do you utilize any nutrition support programs (SNAP benefits, Meals on Wheels, food pantry assistance, etc.). If so, how helpful have you found them to be?

 

4. Transportation supports: please ask the following questions and record your answers. Make sure that you have calculated the Walkability index for this person’s residence prior to the visit (www.walkscore.com)
5. Do you drive your own car? If not, do you rely on other family and friends for your transportation needs?
6. Have you made transportation plans for yourself if you are no longer able to drive?
7. Do you utilize public transportation, taxis or services such as Uber for your transportation needs? If so, how helpful have you found them to be?
8. Do you use government-funded shared ride services such as MTA Access or County Ride services? If so, how helpful have you found them to be?

 

 

5. Personal Safety: please ask the following questions and record your answers
6. Do you view your home as a safe place to live? Why do you feel this way?
7. Do you have an emergency plan for yourself if your community experienced an emergency or disaster?
8. Have you made plans with your family and friends as to where you would go if you had to evacuate your home? Have you arranged a central meeting place for you and your family in case of an emergency?
9. How many days of food and water do you have on hand in your home in case of an emergency? Do you have canned food goods and water as part of those emergency supplies?
10. Do you have a list of medications that you take, and medications in reserve for your use?
11. Do you have a list of emergency telephone numbers (Police, Fire, etc.) and emergency contacts readily available for your use?
12. Do you have working flashlights, batteries and other items in case your home lost its power?
13. Do you have smoke alarms and/or CO2 alarms in your home? Do you change the batteries in those alarms at least once a year?

Review the interview question answers, and choose at least two items in three areas on your checklist that need improvement (you can choose more if you want).  Please research what it would cost to make these modifications or improvements, or changes in social supports that could help this individual remain in their home, and report on what you found out.

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Example: the individual may need to change the location of their bedroom or install a chair lift if they have mobility issues.  Another example: the individual may be unaware of nutrition support services, shopping services or shared ride transportation services offered by County Area Agencies on Aging or local Meals on Wheels organizations, and could benefit from knowing this information.

Part III:

Report your results of this Assessment in a 2 page typed paper which includes; (2) 2-3 pictures of the home, including pictures of any problems in the home; (3) the adult’s responses to the 5 sets of questions; (4)any reflections you may have about Home Fit assessments – what did you learn about living in the community in your own home as an individual gets older, what did you find interesting about the Home Fit Assignment, was there any information in the Home Fit Guide that was interesting, etc.